David R. Cocker
Associate Professor
David R. Cocker III, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Cocker's research concentration is on the physical and chemical processes leading to aerosol formation in the atmosphere. This includes research into gas-to-particle conversion and transformation processes of aerosols. Dr. Cocker also works closely with researchers from CE-CERT's Emissions and Fuels Research group to develop and evaluate methods for quantifying primary particulate emissions from diesel engines, and to apply these methods for studies of emission rates and the impacts of emission control technologies.
Dr. Cocker recently received a National Science Foundation Early Development CAREER award to investigate secondary organic aerosol (SOA) processes. His group is actively researching factors affecting SOA formation including the influence of ammonia, water, NOx, and light hydrocarbonson SOA formation potentials for biogenic and anthropogenic aerosol precursors. Recent emissions work has focused on developing chemical source profiles for locomotives, aircrafts, and ocean-going vessels.
Other research includes a study to identify sources of particulate pollution in urban areas of India. Dr. Cocker earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering (with a minor in Chemical Engineering) from the California Institute of Technology in 2000. He earned his M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Caltech in 1998, and his B.S. in Environmental Engineering and Chemistry from the University of California, Riverside, in 1996.